


Principles - A Good Old Fashoined Ghost Story

by auntylala



Series: Principles of Magic [6]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, Torchwood
Genre: Canonical Character Death, Fluff and Humor, Ghosts, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-23
Updated: 2017-02-23
Packaged: 2018-09-26 11:10:39
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,487
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9892988
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/auntylala/pseuds/auntylala
Summary: Continuing in the Principles of Magic world (AU HP and TW cross over with a focus on TW) Ianto is still trying to come up with a solution to what to do with Gwen and an old school friend needs a favour.  On top of this the Hub has a ghost.  Just another day in a Torchwood where Magic is real.Any OC's are mine, no beta so apologies for any mistakes.





	

Walking in his front door Ianto knew it wasn’t really more than a day since he’d last been home but the pile of mail waiting for him suggested otherwise. All of which faded as a roll of parchment caught his attention. He called out for his house elf, Barnabus as he unwound it.  
‘Master?’  
‘When did this arrive?’  
‘Just this morning Master, a tawny barn owl.’  
‘Thank you Barnabus.’  
‘Will Master be home for supper this evening. Or should I take a meal for you and Mr Jack to his Hub?’  
‘You can leave something here in the pantry, I’ll pop in and pick it up if we are staying at the Hub.’  
‘Very good Master.’

Ianto watched his house elf bow before clicking his fingers and vanishing. He was amazed some days at how quickly he’d accepted the small creature in his life. He’d tried to free him but the look of abject horror in his eyes had quickly caused him to promise not to suggest it again. As much as the creature held his fallen friend Dobby with a hero like awe, he had no desire to emulate his friend’s enjoyment of freedom. Not even meeting Harry Potter and Hermione Granger-Weasley had changed his mind. Reading the parchment he smiled as he composed his response and headed to the attic and his barn owl, Olwyn. He took a moment to stroke the soft white feathers before giving him the response and instructions on where to take it. 

\--/--/--/--/--/--/--/--/--/--/--

In the Hub Jack looked up from his paperwork, smiling at the post it note he was reading.   
Ianto grinned. ‘I see the notes are still working Sir.’  
He shrugged. ‘All I needed was the proper incentive. Are you here so I can claim my rewards?’ Grinning suggestively as he gathered up his collection of brightly coloured squares of incentive.  
Ianto laughed. ‘No Sir, that will have to wait for later. I’m popping out for the afternoon.’  
‘Going far?’  
‘Scotland actually.’  
‘Archie?’  
Ianto shook his head. ‘No. I’ve received an invitation to tea from the Headmaster at Hogwarts.’  
‘Is it normal for your headmaster to invite a former student to tea?’  
‘Not in the slightest.’  
‘Oh. Will you be calling into Glasgow?’  
‘I probably should.’  
‘Okay, let me know when you are on your way back.’

Ianto decided to visit Archie first, having the excuse of another appointment to keep his visit short he was soon apperating into Hogsmede. As much as he enjoyed the man’s company, he had a more intriguing engagement to follow. He schooled his features into his usual blank mask hiding his confusion over Headmaster McGonagall’s choice of the Hogs Head Inn as a meeting place. He wasn’t even sure they served tea. He was directed to a back room by the kilted inn keeper and nodded his thanks before entering the room where he found the Headmaster pouring tea.

‘I know you prefer coffee but I’m sure you’ll indulge me Mr Jones.’  
‘Of course Ma’am”  
‘Oh away with that nonsense, you can call me Minerva.’  
‘I’m not sure I can.’  
She looked at him over the rim of her tea cup. ‘Well, you’re honest. You don’t get that from the job you do, either of them.’   
‘Ah no, came by that at my mam’s knee.’  
She laughed.

Ianto marvelled at how little she appeared to have aged since he first stepped foot in Hogwarts as a scared child about to turn eleven and face the rest of his life as a wizard.  
‘I’m sure you are wondering why I asked to meet you here.’  
‘I must admit to some curiosity on both counts.’  
‘Even the wizarding world is filled with gossips Mr Jones.’  
‘I blame the robes myself.’  
Minerva McGongagall barked a sharp laugh. ‘You may be right.’  
Ianto sipped his tea.  
‘I wonder Mr Jones, if you recall my niece, Blaine.’  
He smiled as he remembered one of his classmates with her penchant for fist fights. ‘I do.’  
‘I need to ask a favour and I’m loath to do so but she’s gotten into a spot of bother at the Ministry.’  
‘I have no influence there.’  
‘That’s not the favour I need. But she is in need a new job and I understand that is one area where you may have some influence.’  
‘At Torchwood?’  
‘It’s not ideal but I fear there is no other real alternative for the girl.’  
‘Does she know you’re asking?’  
‘I may have forgotten to mention this when I suggested she join us for tea.’

Ianto groaned. ‘You do know how bloody minded she can be don’t you.’  
‘That I am aware of.’  
Not rolling his eyes was difficult as he considered her request. ‘I can talk to Jack.’  
‘Yes, I think I met your Captain Harkness in the sixties. He’s certainly aged better than I have.’  
Ianto nodded. ‘He does make an impression, it’s the jaw.’  
‘Yes, it is quite memorable but I never knew him that well.’  
Ianto counted himself lucky he’d stopped caring about much of Jack’s past some time ago. The man was simply who and how he was. It was just one of those things that was easier to let go of than carry around and jealously examine every time some one remembered meeting him.

Minerva McGonagall squared her shoulders back and set her cup of tea down, looking directly into Ianto’s warm blue eyes and sighed. Allowing herself to voice something she didn’t want to admit. ‘I worry. I’m afraid my niece is a bit of a thrill seeker and I’m hoping that unlike me, the muggle world can contain her for I fear the wizarding world can not.’  
‘Are you implying a shared taste for danger?’  
She laughed. ‘Why do you think I haven’t retired yet. I don’t think my fellow professors would thank me for leaving right before another generation of Weasley’s join the student body, never mind their Potter cousins. Could you imagine that.’  
Ianto’s laugh was soft. ‘Perhaps not.’  
They looked up as the door opened. 

Blaine McGonagall had the misfortune to be that girl. The one who acquired her height early and towered over many of her classmates (including the boys) until the rest of her peers caught up. Now it suited her and she had her red blonde hair short in a pixie cut that framed her face. Unlike the rest of her family, she was naturally quite tan having missed the pale celtic skin of her brothers and cousins. Her green cat like eyes smiled as she recognised the wizard sipping tea with her aunt.  
‘Ianto bloody Jones.’ Grinning as he rose to met her and they hugged. ‘Wow, you are not what I was expecting in your suit, very fancy.’  
‘How have you been Blaine?’  
She sighed. ‘So so. But I’m sure my aunt has filled your ears with enough of my tale of woe.’  
‘Not really, just that you might be open to a career move.’  
‘That’s one way to put it.’ She pulled a chair over and took the tea cup she was handed. ‘Let’s just say that the Ministry is one eyed when it comes to certain aspects of life. But rumour has it you chase aliens and the like.’  
He nodded. ‘We deal with all manner of things at Torchwood, including aliens.’ 

Torchwood had never been a huge secret in the wizarding world, they just preferred to stay out of the way which is why most wizards either didn’t care or had never heard of it. There was no way Queen Victoria was able to set an institute up to deal with phantasmagorical matters and have it escape the attention of the magical community. Over the years they had traditionally maintained a wizard or witch within Torchwood, often at the crowns request. Which is why Jack Harkness had accepted the presence of Ianto Jones in his Hub at the fall of One at Canary Wharf. He hadn’t been thrilled at the royal decree but he wasn’t stupid enough to argue with the Queen even if he didn’t know why. 

Finding Ianto Jones in his impeccable suits and with coffee making skills beyond compare made it easy to forget to ask why he needed to take this particular Canary Wharf survivor into the Hub with no explanation given or offered. Now, other than the founding director, Jack was the only Torchwood Director to know of the existence of magic and witches and wizards. The Statute for the Secrecy of Magic was absolute. Although it was getting more flexible as muggles and witches and wizards intermarried and mingled more now than they once did. And Ianto was not the only member of the magical community living and working in the muggle world. 

‘So you got any job openings?’  
‘Yeap.’  
‘I’m not going to have to Men in Black it in a suit like you am I?’  
Minerva shook her head. ‘You young people and your sayings.’  
Ianto laughed. ‘You don’t have to wear a suit, just something suitable for running though sewers.’  
‘Sewers aye. Cool. And ah, are we in the broom cupboard, or out?’  
‘I am out, the Cardiff team know I am a wizard but it’s still a secret to everyone else. It would be up to you if you choose to let them know or not.’  
‘We went to school together, be a bit odd if I wasn’t a witch.’ She shrugged. ‘I’m sure they’ll figure it out.’  
‘I do have to speak to Jack but I think we can offer you a trial to see if you like the job. You can stay in my guest room if you like.’  
‘Wont that cramp your style.’  
‘I spend more time at the Hub than home and I’m sure my house elf would love having a witch in the house to fuss over.’  
‘Ianto Jones has a house elf.’ She laughed. 

‘He came with the house.’  
‘Alright, and does the job pay in muggle or magical currency.’  
‘Muggle.’  
‘Good thing my muggle mother insisted I get a “proper” bank account and a cell phone.’  
‘Cell phones.’ Minerva muttered. ‘Infernal contraptions, what is wrong with an owl I say. And on that note, Hogwarts does not run itself.’ She nodded to Ianto and addressed her niece. ‘Will I see you at supper dear?’  
Blaine shook her head. ‘I’m sure fancy pants here will want to show me around Cardiff. Unless you had plans Ianto?’  
‘No, that would give you a chance to meet Jack.’  
‘Captain Jack Harkness?’ She asked.  
Ianto nodded.  
‘Yeah I’ve heard about him from a cousin on mum’s side, works for Unit.’  
‘I can assure you, he is probably worse than the rumours would have you believe.’  
‘Wow. Now I really want to meet him.’ She grinned as she rose to farewell her aunt.  
Ianto watched as the Headmaster of Hogwarts hugged her niece, the only daughter of her brother’s youngest son. And pulled the persona of Headmaster and Professor back into place.  
‘Do try and stay out of trouble or I’ll never hear the end of it from your mother, never mind your gran.’

Once she left, Blaine turned to Ianto. ‘Tell me all about your team and Jack.’  
‘They are muggles, and with one exception they all know I’m a wizard.’ He smiled as he considered the people he worked with. ‘We don’t work nine to five so you will get to know them quite well and see them at their best and worst.’  
‘Ianto, we went to boarding school for witches and wizards and one year some of our teachers and classmates even tried to kill us. How different can it be from that.’  
‘Surprisingly similar I’m afraid.’   
She paused at the darkness that filled his eyes and nodded. ‘The one who doesn’t know then.’  
‘That would be Gwen Cooper, formerly of the Cardiff Hedlu.’  
‘I’m not going to have to learn bloody Welsh am I?’  
‘No. You will be fine if you don’t, most of the Welsh can’t speak it themselves so we hardly need tourists butchering the language too.’  
She laughed. ‘Good, it’s my brother Geordie that is good with languages, not me. Tell me about the others.’

‘You’ll love Tosh, Doctor Toshiko Sato, she’s a genius and tech expert, if it’s got a computer chip she can make it sing. She’s also in love with our medical Doctor, Owen Harper. She’s incredibly sweet and lovely and he’s a sarcastic twat although he is more tolerable now.’  
‘Go on.’  
‘We have Jimmy, he’s a few months older than we are, we met him on a case Harry Potter and Hermione Granger-Weasley were in Cardiff for.’  
‘I heard they were in Cardiff.’  
‘My house elf almost had kittens when they turned up at the house.’ Ianto added with an exasperated sigh.  
‘Oh wow, and the smart phones they were bragging about at the Ministry, that was you, wasn’t it.’  
Ianto shrugged. ‘I live in a muggle world. You don’t want to know what it was like shopping with the entire Weasley clan when they all decided they wanted phones too.’  
She laughed. ‘I bumped into Arthur not long after he got his and he saw me with my phone and was asking so many questions.’  
‘I felt sorry for the British Telecom chap. But I imagine the commission on fourteen smart phones might have made up for the oddness of the event.’  
She laughed. ‘What does Jimmy do?’

‘Man’s our cover, a tourist office, and does the general office admin stuff.’  
‘A tourist office, makes more sense than a loo floo at the ministry.’  
‘I always thought so.’ Ianto agreed.  
‘You haven’t told me about Harkness yet.’  
Ianto smiled. ‘Jack is going to flirt with you, it’s just who he is. He’s brash and rude and antagonises just about everyone we deal with who is in any sort of authority. And is just as charming in equal measures. He tells the most outrageous stories that are usually true and if he ever went darkside he’d be devastatingly dangerous.’  
‘And you and he are a couple?’  
‘We haven’t put a label on it.’  
‘Happy?’  
‘I am.’ He smiled.  
She patted his hand, having met Lisa Hallet a few times she’d liked the striking young woman and been genuinely sad for her friend when she’d died. It was nice to see him happy, he’d always been so guarded even with Lisa. ‘What aren’t you telling me.’

Ianto considered how to explain Gwen beyond what he’d already intimated. He opted for honesty. ‘She tried to kill me.’  
‘Wow and she’s still a member of the team?’  
‘Maybe is the short answer. She was stood down for two weeks and been out most of this week with an injury she sustained while snowboarding. She is due back start of next week to answer for her actions.’  
‘And she doesn’t know about magic.’  
‘No.’ He picked a biscuit up, more for something to do with his hands than any great desire to eat shortbread. ‘I removed those memories before we stood her down, more for my safety than anything else.’  
‘That’s some heavy shite.’  
‘Still want the job?’  
She grinned. ‘Totally.’  
‘Then I need to introduce you to Jack. Once I talk to him about giving you a trial.’  
‘I have every confidence in you Ianto Jones.’

\--/--/--/--/--/--/--/--/--/--/--

Ianto left Blaine to get settled into his guest room and smiled at how Olwyn seemed to take to her barn owl as Toast joined him in the attic owlery. He left Barnabus with instructions to ensure the owls would be well accommodated. Also confirming his new house guest and he and Jack would be in for dinner. That done, he apperated into the Hub to speak with Jack about their new trial team member.

Jack smiled as he looked up to find Ianto lounging in his doorway. ‘How was tea?’  
‘Interesting to say the least. The Headmaster is the great-aunt of one of my classmates.’  
‘That must have been fun for the girl at school.’  
‘As a general rule her nephews that did attended Hogwarts did so under another family name although Blaine refused to.’  
‘Okay, and?’  
‘Blaine needs a change of pace and I’m wondering if you would consider her as a field agent.’  
‘Skill set?’  
‘She’s good at hand to hand combat, I suspect being the only girl with four older brothers and three male cousins may have helped. And she was a bit of a brawler at school with and without magic.’  
‘That isn’t the only criteria for a field agent.’

Ianto stepped into the office and pulled up a chair. ‘She’s smart, good under pressure and if she was a muggle she’d be climbing mountains and wrestling bears for fun.’  
‘What’s the wizard equivalent to bear wrestling?’  
Ianto shrugged. ‘There’s all manor of supernatural and magical creatures she could wrestle. Short answer is she’s got a sharp tongue and she’s ruffled some feathers at the Ministry, needs other options and I think she’s a fit for the team.’  
‘And how close an old school chum is she?’  
Ianto laughed. ‘We shared a number of things growing up, including our taste in women.’ He leaned in and lowered his voice knowing what it did to Jack. ‘Why do you ask? You aren’t jealous are you?’  
Jack licked his lips as he smiled. ‘I know what your doing Ianto Jones, and I’ve half a mind to send everyone home and spank you.’  
He leaned even closer. ‘If you think you should. Sir.’  
Jack’s eyebrows shot up as he leaped out of his chair, ignoring it as it crashed to the floor while he speed to the door and yelled at every one to bugger off home. Turning he raked his eyes over his second in command. ‘Now, Mr Jones.’   
‘Sir?’ Ianto purred, not having moved from his seat.  
‘You and I need to discuss some matters of discipline I believe.’  
‘Me Sir?’ Ianto let his eyes grow wide while his expression was carefully schooled and innocent. ‘What ever you think is best, Sir.’ 

In the main body of the Hub, after being told to go home, Owen turned to Tosh and frowned. ‘It’s barely four in the afternoon.’ He groaned as he sensed Jack’s pheromones spilling out of the office. ‘Yeah, scratch that, lets get out of here.’ He looked over to Jimmy who was emptying a rubbish bin. ‘You up for a pint and a few games of pool down the pub?’  
‘Yeah alright, if I go home this early mam’ll just freak out and think I’ve been fired.’  
Tosh picked her purse and jacket up. ‘We should take the invisible lift, it will be faster.’  
Both men agreed and they were soon rising up into the Plass. 

Although it wasn’t strictly the fastest way out of the Hub, the fresh air helped clear the pheromones away making it the safest exit. And they soon found themselves ordering a round of drinks and making their way to an open pool table down at the Prince’s Arms, having started drinking at the pub frequented by Cardiff’s police. Ianto had suggested it as a good way to ingratiate themselves with the local police and they found the officers not only more approachable at alien related crime scenes but the bar also served really good pub meals. Making it their new local and first pub of choice to wind down in at the end of the day. It wasn’t long before they roped officer Andy Davidson in as a forth and began a (mostly) friendly game of pool. Tosh and Owen against Andy and Jimmy, with the losers buying the next round.

\--/--/--/--

Jack was settled into the armchair with a naked Welshman draped over his knees. ‘You know this doesn’t work if you’re giggling, don’t you.’  
‘I’m sorry Jack but it’s hard not to when you are spanking me with a bright pink hello kitty hairbrush.’  
Jack laughed. ‘You may have a point. I’m not even sure where it came from.’  
‘I didn’t say you should stop what you were doing with your other hand.’ Ianto turned to look up at him with a smile. ‘I was rather enjoying that.’

\--/--/--/--

Back in the Prince’s Arms, Jimmy set a round of drinks on the table and shook his head at Owen and Tosh.   
Andy grinned. ‘Haven’t seen Cooper around for a while.’  
‘Na mate.’ Owen picked his pint up. ‘She’s on administrative leave.’  
‘She finally fucked up badly enough then.’ He looked around at people he loosely considered mates as they sipped their drinks and chose not to answer. ‘So should I ask if there’s any openings going or is it too soon.’   
Owen laughed. ‘I tried to put a good word in the other day.’  
‘A good word?’ Tosh snorted. ‘You asked we could swap them over as being interchangeable.’  
‘Well I reckon they probably are.’

Jimmy shook his head and looked at Andy apologetically. Drinking in a police bar with a copper was actually less weird than his days usually were. Even for a reformed petty criminal.  
Andy grinned. ‘At least you asked. I asked Gwen a few times and she just pets my arm and tells me it isn’t for me. But I’ll keep asking.’  
‘I reckon it’s Ianto you have to impress.’ Jimmy said.  
‘That’s the bloke in the suit.’ Owen added.  
‘I know who Ianto Jones is ya daft English sod. He’s a right sight better to deal with than your flashy Captain. And he doesn’t rub the higher ups the wrong way.’ Andy reached for a bag of crisps. ‘Your captain didn’t half make it worse for the rest of us on a shift after the senior officers ever had to deal with him. But Ianto Jones, he’s alright.’  
‘He does have that effect on people.’  
Tosh frowned. ‘Jack or Ianto.’  
‘Yes.’ Owen simply stated.

\--/--/--/--

Showered and dressed Ianto pulled a pair of jeans on and along with a shirt for a local Cardiff pub band as he watched Jack dressing in similar clothes. They had long mixed their casual wardrobes together in the Hub, that being the advantage of having a partner of the same height and gender and general build. Jack was leaner and his shirts clung a little tighter to Ianto but neither man seemed to mind. Once they were both dressed Jack stepped up to Ianto and wrapped his arms around the wizard.  
‘Come on, do your zappy thing and take me home for dinner.’  
‘You know you only need to hold my arm.’  
‘Yeah, but this is much nicer.’ Jack grinned.  
Ianto rolled his eyes as they stepped sideways via magic from the Hub to the library in Ianto’s Victorian built home.

Blaine looked up from the book she was reading not even noticing how long Ianto had been away. ‘Oh yeah, I thought you were wearing a suit.’  
‘We don’t dress formally for dinner.’ Ianto waited for Jack to unwrap himself. ‘Blaine McGonagall, meet Captain Jack Harkness.’  
‘Hi ya.’ She set the book down and rose to her feet, at six foot she looked Jack and Ianto squarely in the eyes. ‘I’ve heard about you from my cousin. Donnie McGregor, he’s part of the office pool at Unit in Glasgow.’  
‘I can assure you the rumours are probably true.’  
‘Yeah, so Ianto said.’ She shook his hand.  
‘I understand you’re a witch and need a new job.’  
‘If there’s one going.’  
‘He tell you we deal with aliens? Because the last wizard I met, other than Ianto, didn’t even believe in them.’

‘I know what Torchwood is, I currently work in the Department of Interdepartmental Filing at the Ministry of Magic. And it’s as bad as it sounds. I was working in Magical Law Enforcement but when I wouldn’t sleep with the boss I got bumped to filing and making tea.’  
‘I’ve got one of them already. Although Ianto makes coffee and he’s happy to sleep with me.’  
‘I’m no bloody tea lady Harkness.’   
He looked her up and down, it wasn’t sexual but it was appraising as he took in her stance and how she held herself.   
‘You know we deal with mudjules.’  
‘Is that a type of alien?’ 

Jack frowned as he looked from the blank expression on Ianto’s face to the open honesty of Blaine’s question until they burst into laughter.  
‘It’s muggles Jack.’ Ianto shook his head.   
‘Whatever.’ He muttered. ‘We work in a non magical field so it’s guns first wands second and only if you don’t get seen.’  
‘You’re going to give me a gun?’  
‘Tasser to start with but yes, is that a problem?’  
‘No.’ She smiled. ‘Donnie isn’t the only McGregor in the armed forces, mum’s a seventh generation army brat. I can shoot a gun.’  
‘Any reason you didn’t enlist?’  
‘I thought I had when I signed up for Magical Law Enforcement until sexual politics intervened and yeah. I’m looking for a change but to something where I can still use magic for more than putting the kettle on and making a cup of tea.’  
‘Don’t really drink tea myself.’ Jack grinned. ‘We’ll take you to the Hub tomorrow and see what you can do.’

Barnabus knocked at the library door. ‘Would Master like to dine in the kitchen or the dining room?’  
‘In the kitchen will be fine.’  
‘Then dinner is ready Master.’  
‘Thank you.’ Ianto turned to his friend and lover. ‘Shall we.’  
‘Good, I’m starving.’   
‘You’re always starving Jack.’  
‘I have a fast metabolism.’ He winked before heading for the kitchen.  
Watching him walk out the door Blaine found herself checking him out.  
Ianto nodded. ‘He’s rather fit.’ Flashing her a grin before following his lover and boss.  
Laughing she followed.

Blaine groaned as she pushed her plate away. ‘I can’t have another bite, I don’t have a fast metabolism so no second slice of apple pie for me thank you.’  
Jack sighed contentedly as Ianto handed him a mug of coffee. ‘Thank’s Ianto.’  
‘Coffee Blaine?’  
‘Not if I want any sleep tonight.’  
‘There’s more pumpkin juice if you’d prefer. I don’t normally have it but Barnabus must have stocked up.’  
‘No thank you Ianto, one more mouthful of anything and I’m done.’ She groaned the self satisfied groan of the well fed. ‘I should check on Toast, hopefully she’s playing nice with your owl, she can be a bit grumpy the first few days somewhere new.’  
‘Toast?’ Jack asked.  
‘My barn owl.’  
Jack shook his head. ‘I still don’t get that. Ianto told me he had an owl because the cat wouldn’t fetch the paper.’  
Blaine laughed as Ianto nodded, his face poker blank.

‘And Moses still hasn’t, not once has he fetched the paper.’  
‘He’s a good looking cat, I don’t blame him for not fetching the paper.’  
‘He belonged to a friend of mine, I brought him to Ianto when she.’ He stopped, it still pained him to think of losing Estelle to the Mara. ‘Anyway, he’s happy here.’  
‘Your house elf is besotted with him.’   
‘Yes, I can tell I’m going to wind up with more cats in the future.’ Ianto muttered.  
Blaine laughed as she rose to her feet and moved out of the kitchen. 

\--/--/--/--/--/--/--/--/--/--/--/--/--

The next morning Ianto apperated in the Archives with Jack and Blaine. He grinned as she looked around.  
‘Okay, so far it’s not that different to the Ministry.’  
‘Ah, but this is Ianto’s domain.’ Jack added.  
‘That’s why we apperated here, it’s the safest place to pop in and out of.’  
‘That why you use the library back at the house?’  
Ianto nodded. ‘It is, come on, the others wont be far away if they aren’t here yet. They’ll be clambering for a coffee if nothing else.’

They moved into the central Hub area and Blaine looked around.   
‘Well it looks lived in.’  
Jack laughed. ‘Some people are so hard to impress.’  
‘Who are you trying to impress?’ Tosh looked up from her computer.  
‘Ah, excellent, you’re here.’  
‘Yes.’ She looked around, her eyes falling on the tall blonde standing with the two men. ‘Hello?’  
The cog door rolled open and Owen and Jimmy walked in carrying paper bags.  
Owen called out. ‘We picked up pastries.’ He stopped. ‘And this is?’

Jack looked at Ianto who nodded. ‘Alright, gather round kids and Ianto will introduce our guest.’  
They moved to the couch under the Torchwood sign and they pulled a few chairs over as everyone fell on the pastries.   
‘Tosh, Owen, Jimmy, this is Blaine McGonagall, we went to school together.’  
There was a chorus of hellos as the three Torchwood staff considered what that might mean.  
‘She’s here to try out as a field agent.’ Jack added. ‘On leave from her regular job for now until we see how this works out.’  
‘So we are replacing Gwen?’ Owen asked.  
Jack shrugged. ‘We need another field agent, maybe even another one if we do let Gwen go.’  
‘Good because I wasn’t joking about swapping Cooper for officer Andy. He asked if there was a job going.’  
Ianto snorted. ‘I spoke with Detective Swanson. She does not want that to happen. She likes Andy and suggested strongly against poaching him and returning Gwen.’  
Owen frowned. ‘You’ve looked into this.’  
‘Of course. I thought it was a good idea and one I was going to suggest to Jack.’  
‘So no chance of a straight swap then.’ Owen muttered.

‘What are you guys going to do if you don’t keep her?’ Blaine didn’t flinch as everyone looked at her. ‘If the police don’t want her back.’  
‘There is no if.’ Ianto looked at his team mates. ‘Detective Swanson and one or two other sources of mine all said quite categorically that there is no room for her in the Cardiff police.’  
‘Her parents are in Swansea, she could be transferred there.’ Owen suggested.  
‘What about her boyfriend though?’ Tosh asked. ‘What if he doesn’t want to move.’  
‘She wasn’t too worried about him when she climbed into my bed.’ Owen muttered. ‘Or when she tried to get into Jack’s.’  
‘Hmm.’ Tosh took a breath and nodded. ‘Fair point.’

‘She could possibly be traded further afield or sent somewhere like Unit.’ Ianto added. ‘Although they are familiar enough with her reputation that it was strongly suggested we not do that either.’  
‘Wow, she sounds like a right cow.’   
‘I didn’t want to tell you too much so I wasn’t colouring your perceptions of the woman.’ Ianto sighed softly. ‘Apparently I failed.’  
‘Na, if you didn’t want to do that you shouldn’t have told me she pulled a gun on you. I’m afraid all bets are off with something like that.’  
‘We don’t know she wasn’t under the influence of an alien at the time.’  
‘That’s a pretty big hope to hang your hat on Ianto.’  
‘I know.’ 

He turned back to the rest of the team. ‘As another option, we could manufacture an accident and an insurance pay out and let her figure her own self out. Something that would stop her getting back into the police or any similar agency. And it would explain her memory loss.’  
‘Since retcon may not work on her you are talking about your memory trick thing aren’t you.’  
‘Yes Owen.’

Blaine grinned. ‘Memory charms happen to be one of the things I’m really good at, it was one of the only classes where I actually managed to beat Ianto. That and ligilimency.’  
‘I’m guessing he was teachers pet am I right?’ Owen asked, taking her nod for confirmation.   
Tosh grinned. ‘Hardly surprising.’  
‘I never understood why you didn’t get into Magical Law Enforcement.’  
Ianto shrugged. ‘The Ministry didn’t want to train me for that, although now I’m glad they didn’t.’ He exchanged a look with Jack who answered him with a small smile and a quick nod.

Jimmy, as he seemed to do, asked the logical question. ‘So what happens when Cooper gets back on Monday?’  
‘I reckon we see how she reacts to her replacement.’ Owen smiled. It wasn’t the sort of smile that gained you an extra slice of cake but rather the sort of smile that sent you to bed with no supper. 

‘We ask her if she intended to kill Ianto, how deliberate that action was and find out if she’s likely to try again.’ Jack stated simply with no infection in his tone.   
‘And if she can convince you it wasn’t deliberate.’ Tosh asked.  
‘She’s on administrative duties and gets retrained. If she fucks up again she’s out. Or if she can’t convince all of us she’s contrite and wont do it again and it was an accident, she’s gone.’ He reached over and took Ianto’s hand. ‘I wont have someone on my team I can’t trust to act in the best interests of the team and the planet we defend. The twenty first century is where it all changes and we need to be ready for that.’  
‘I’ve got another question.’   
Everyone looked at Owen.  
‘Is this one here as a wizard or just a field agent who happens to have a special stick in her pocket?’  
‘I’m a witch, not a wizard.’

Jack shook his head. ‘I’m sure I’ve had this conversation before.’  
Ianto nodded. ‘With my niece and nephew actually.’  
‘Oh yeah, that’s right.’ Jack looked back at Owen. ‘Blaine is on trial as a field agent who just happens to have an additional skill set that hopefully wont be needed in the field.’  
‘Just, it’s been bloody handy having a wizard with us is all. And he hardly ever uses his wand.’  
‘Oh my god, that’s right.’ Blaine shook her head. ‘Now I understand why they wanted you somewhere like Torchwood.’  
‘For the kids who want to play along at home that would be?’ Owen asked.  
Tosh grinned as she looked at Blaine. ‘Ianto can cast spells without his wand.’  
‘Exactly, making him the perfect wizard to put in the muggle world and somewhere like Torchwood. It bugged me for ages when I’d see the reports he sent in. Which, FYI, boring as shite to read.’  
‘Not entirely accidental, I can assure you.’  
‘Well yeah.’ She agreed with her former classmate. ‘We wouldn’t want to encourage them to get nosey about what you do in your clandestine, secret organization and your bat cave.’  
‘I’ve only got a little over two years left in my obligation and I’d rather they forgot about me.’

Ianto spent the rest of day putting Blaine though her paces after Owen gave her a full physical. The computer she took a little longer to come to grips with but Ianto left her in Tosh’s capable hands while he topped everyone’s caffeine levels up.  
By the end of the day Blaine felt like her head was going to explode as she flopped onto the couch where they had eaten breakfast.   
‘Oh my god that was intense I’m ever going to remember everything.’  
Tosh smiled as she curled up next to her. ‘You’ll be fine, it’s your first day.’ Already comfortable with the outspoken young woman and her Scottish accent, finding her a refreshing change.  
‘I know, I just don’t want to let Ianto down, he literally saved my life a couple of times in school and I just want to return that obligation you know.’  
‘Literally?’  
She nodded. ‘Yeah, we had a pretty bad year our fourth year at school. We’re talking students encouraged to actually torture each other by insane teachers who had broken out of prison bad.’  
Owen swung in next to Tosh. ‘Say that again?’

‘In the magical community not every witch or wizard is good and a few generations back one went really dark. Take over the world and kill the muggles dark.’ She looked at Owen and Tosh. ‘You guys are muggles with no magic. Well, his side gained control of our school for a while in our fourth year and we had to pull together just to survive.’  
Ianto pulled a chair up and joined the conversation. ‘We ended up on the run within the school walls and lost friends along the way. People talk about school being hell, I literally saw classmates killed around me. It ended in a massive battle and we managed to prevail.’

Jimmy shook his head. ‘Christ, I was just worried about having enough money for smokes when I was fourteen or fifteen years old.’  
Blaine shrugged. ‘It was what it was.’  
‘On that note.’ Jack clapped his hands. ‘Lets all get out of here, first round is on me.’  
‘No karaoke right?’ Owen asked.  
‘I make no promises.’ He grinned.

\--/--/--/--/--/--/--/--/--/--/--

The next day was Friday and Blaine wandered though the archives looking for Ianto. ‘Oh hay, there you are.’  
‘Do you need something?’  
‘No but I was wondering when we got the ghost.’  
‘Oddly enough the Hub doesn’t have one.’  
‘Yeah it does.’ She pulled a chair over and sat down.   
Ianto frowned as the greyed out image of a young man walked into view.  
‘Oh wow, this is so awesome, I am actually in the Torchwood Archives.’  
‘Great.’ Ianto muttered. ‘Not only do we have a ghost it’s Cooper’s bloody fanboy.’  
The ghost stopped. ‘Hang on, you can see me?’  
‘Yes. The question is, why are you here?’ Ianto moved to a computer and pulled up a search, waiting for the young man to respond.

‘Duno but it’s totally awesome. I’m in Torchwood. But, where’s Gwen Cooper?’  
‘That’s a touchy subject mate, I’m Blaine.’  
‘Eugene Jones, you’re new.’  
Blaine nodded as she looked at Ianto. ‘Do you reckon he knows?’  
‘No idea.’ Ianto looked at Eugene. ‘Why are you looking for Gwen?’  
‘I haven’t seen her for a bit, I had something to show her.’  
Ianto groaned softly, apparently ghosts could blush.

Blaine rolled her eyes. ‘Really?’  
‘I had something, a proper alien eye but I haven’t seen her and I don’t remember.’  
‘What’s the last thing you do remember?’  
‘I was running, I don’t run but I can’t remember why and then my head. It felt like it exploded, you know. And now, no one can see me, even my mum, she couldn’t hear me when I was standing right next to her. I mean, I’m used to people ignoring me but not mum.’  
‘I guess that’s a no then.’ Ianto muttered as he pulled the police files and clicked his comm link. ‘Owen, I’m going to need you to get your hands on a body and do an autopsy, I’m sending the request to the police now.’

Eugene frowned. ‘Why would he need to do an autopsy, is Gwen okay?’  
Ianto finished sending his emails and moved to stand beside the young man. ‘Eugene, do you remember what happened when you stopped running?’  
‘There was a loud noise and I was, flying I think.’  
Blaine stood up and also moved beside him. ‘Eugene, why do you think no one else can see you?’  
‘Not sure, mum was crying so much but she couldn’t hear me no matter what I said to her.’  
‘And how do you think you managed to get inside the Hub?’ Ianto asked.  
‘I just wanted to be here and here I was. Looking for Gwen.’  
Blaine looked at Ianto. ‘I think we need to tell him.’  
Ianto nodded.   
‘Look, Eugene, no one else can see you, because you’re dead.’  
‘No I’m not.’  
‘Fine, pick something up.’ He leaned back and waited.

‘Okay.’ Eugene puffed his chest up and moved to pick a pen up. Looking up in shock as he found himself standing in the table and unable to touch anything. ‘Um.’ He looked down and saw his body disappear. ‘I don’t feel so good.’  
Blaine frowned at Ianto. ‘I’ve never seen a ghost faint before.’ She looked sideways at the ghost who was folded in on himself.  
‘Neither have I. I need to talk to the others, and make a phone call to Detective Swanson.’  
‘You can’t leave me here with him.’  
‘Yeah, I can.’ Ianto grinned and flashed out of sight.  
‘Oh that is so cheating.’ She glared after her friend and shook her head before turning her focus back to Eugene. ‘Come on you, lets go. Oi.’ She sighed and took a breath before yelling. ‘Eugene!’  
He startled. ‘Oh, um, yes.’  
‘Come on, lets go find the others.’ Shaking her head as he wriggled his way out of the desk. ‘Yeah, that’s it, come on.’ It was like cheering on a puppy.

Ianto appeared in Jack’s office startling the older man.  
‘Bloody hell, Ianto, you trying to see if you can scare me into my next death?’  
‘Nope. But we have a ghost in the Hub.’  
‘What?’  
‘Yeap. Come on, we need to pull everyone together so Blaine and I can explain.’  
‘Okay.’ Jack followed him into the main Hub. ‘Heads up kids.’ Looking around for Owen. ‘Um, are we missing someone?’  
‘Oh.’ Ianto pulled his phone out. ‘Sorry, I still have to call Detective Swanson.’ He flashed a quick smile at Jack. ‘I wont be long.’ He walked away as his phone call connected. ‘Detective, how are you today.’

Jack shrugged as he moved towards Tosh’s desk and saw Blaine coming towards them talking to herself.  
‘Tosh.’  
‘Jack.’  
‘Has everyone gone crazy while I wasn’t looking?’  
‘Don’t think so.’  
‘Then who is she talking to?’  
‘Not a clue.’ She looked up from her computer and tilted her head slightly as she watched Blaine. ‘Although you might have a point.’  
‘Yes, Ianto just appeared in my office, he doesn’t usually do that.’  
‘Maybe it’s a wizard thing.’  
‘I’ve seen him with other wizards and he didn’t get like this around them.’  
‘I’m sure there is a very logical explanation.’  
‘I’d settle for a totally non logical one right now. And where is Owen?’  
‘Ianto asked him to do an autopsy, he’s got me looking for the case file now.’

Jack moved to read over her shoulder. ‘Isn’t that the kid that follows Gwen around now and again.’  
‘Eugene Jones.’ Blaine said, moving to stand beside Jack. ‘He’s dead.’ She turned to look beside her. ‘Look, I’m sorry but I can’t sugar coat it I’m not Willy Wonka.’  
‘Blaine? Who are you talking to?’  
‘Eugene.’ She rolled her eyes as she looked to her left again. ‘They can’t see you.’ She gave an exasperated sigh. ‘Muggles have it so easy not being able to see and talk to ghosts.’  
Jack looked up at Ianto as he walked towards them, tucking his phone back in his pocket.

‘So there is a ghost, in my Hub?’  
‘Yeap.’ Popping the P. ‘Eugene Jones, killed in a random car accident two days ago. Don’t know why, he doesn’t remember much, just running and flying and his head hurt a bit.’ He looked to the space beside Blaine. ‘Did I miss anything?’ He tilted his head as if listening and nodded a few times. ‘Tosh, check his online auction account, he said he was selling an alien eye.’

Tosh looked at Jack who shared her perplexed expression and pulled up a fresh search. It didn’t take long before she frowned. ‘Who would pay over fifteen thousand quid for an eye?’  
‘I heard Micheal Jackson paid less for his first nose.’ Owen snarked walking towards them. He looked at Ianto. ‘Body will be here in about half an hour.’  
‘Full autopsy, don’t skimp.’  
He shrugged. ‘Yeah whatever, crown pathologist seemed happy enough to hand him over. What do I care.’   
‘Delivered to the parking garage I hope?’  
Owen chortled. ‘Jimmy’s still a bit dark on me after the last one. But you did say the tourist office was for deliveries.’  
‘Not of alien heads.’  
Owen shrugged.

‘So ghosts?’ Jack asked. ‘You can both see them.’  
‘It’s a witch/wizard thing. Usually there is something keeping a person from moving on so they stay, some also have challenges accepting that they are actually dead. We had a professor at school like that.’ Blaine explained.  
‘And Eugene?’   
‘Duno, he’s getting used to the idea he’s dead but he hasn’t moved on yet either.’  
‘He might need someone to solve his murder or it could be something else holding him here.’ Ianto added.

‘Gee.’ Owen smiled. ‘If only we had a policeman on staff to get on to solving it.’  
Blaine rolled her eyes and turned to the space beside her. ‘Give over already and stop harping on about Gwen sodding Cooper. She ignored you when you were alive and she’d only be looking out of guilt if she was here now.’ She threw her hands up in the air. ‘Ianto, you deal with this, five more minutes and I’m calling my aunt for a ghost busting spell. Or finding a priest, I’ve got a cousin who is dying to try something stupid like that.’  
Ianto sighed softly. ‘Come on Eugene, why don’t you come to the archives with me I’ll even let you read some folders over my shoulder if you like.’

Blaine shook her head as she watched Ianto walking away with the now upset ghost. ‘Lord he was doing my head in.’  
‘You have a cousin who is a priest?’ Owen looked impressed. ‘But you are a witch.’  
‘My great grandfather was a priest, he married a witch. It was a bit of a shock I can tell you.’  
‘Must make Christmas a barrel of laughs.’  
‘Hardly anyone knows, its the whole Magical Statue of Secrecy thing and they wonder why there are so many xenophobic wizards and witches.’ She shrugged. ‘It is what it is.’

\--/--/--/--/--/--/--/--/--/--/--

Blaine found the autopsy of Eugene Jones a bit surreal, and was almost as challenged by it as Eugene himself. Looking for something to distract him she grabbed his cellphone from the personal effects that had arrived with his body and started asking him about the photos. She hoped it might help jog some memories of the day he died and help him move on.  
‘You want to explain the foot fetish?’  
‘I don’t have a foot fetish.’  
‘So shoes were a stylistic choice for a photo?’  
‘No.’  
‘This was taken not long before you died.’ Pointing to a collection of shoes and the tiny bits of the people wearing them the camera caught.  
‘Oh. They look like my friend Josh’s shoes and Gary wears converse. I’m not sure how I feel about that.’  
Blaine looked over at Owen who was currently wrist deep in the young man’s chest cavity and agreed. ‘Yeah, it’s a bit strange, even for this place apparently and it’s only my second day.’

Owen weighed the heart, recorded his findings and set it aside to remove the stomach where he gave an excited shout. ‘I’ve got something!’  
Eugene smiled. ‘I was wondering where I put that.’  
‘Put what?’  
‘My alien eye.’  
‘The one you were selling online?’ She watched him nod and looked over at Owen. ‘He said that’s his alien eye.’  
‘Yes, thank you Allison Dubios, I worked that one out.’ He wondered when this had actually stopped being weird. A witch was having a conversation with a ghost about his alien eye and it wasn’t the most strange thing that had ever happened to him at Torchwood. He mentally shook his head and hollerred for Jack.

Hearing his name he wondered over to Blaine and Owen, followed closely by his ever present shadow and second in command, Ianto.   
Owen chose to ignore their flushed faces and kiss swollen lips.  
‘Congratulations Owen, it’s an eye.’ Ianto moved to the box of gloves and pulled a pair on, taking the eye he washed it under Jack’s ever present supervision.  
‘Well I’ll be, it’s a Dogon sixth eye. Don’t see them very often.’

Eugene looked at Jack in awe. ‘It’s really an actual alien eye.’  
Ianto smiled at him. ‘Yeah, it really is.’ Watching as the ghost began fading slightly around the edges.  
‘Oh.’ Eugene looked down at his hands as they began to grow even more transparent. ‘So, ah, thanks, for, you know.’  
‘You’re welcome.’  
‘Yeah.’ Blaine added.   
Jack watched his wizard and witch as they smiled a little sadly. ‘He’s gone then.’  
Ianto nodded. ‘He’s gone. Owen, if you could put him back together so we can release the body, his family deserve to bury him.’  
‘Do we know why he ran onto the road.’  
‘No.’ Ianto admitted. ‘He never did remember.’ He bagged the eye and left it for Owen to catalogue.

Blaine leaned on the railing. ‘It must have been an accident or he would have had a harder time letting go and moving on.’  
‘It was never about the why, it was the eye that kept him here.’ Jack looked at his team. ‘Dogon’s have thirteen eyes, the sixth eye allows a person to look back on choices they made if it’s swallowed. That’s why there is a bit of a trade in them and why someone who knew what one was, might pay so much for one.’  
‘And when we removed it, he lost the link holding him here.’  
‘Exactly. It left him able to move on to whatever is next for Eugene Jones.’

Blaine looked around the team and grinned. ‘So is it usually this exciting around here?’  
‘Na.’ Owen spoke first. ‘It’s usually mind numbing paperwork surrounding chaotic bursts of madness and weevils in the sewers.’  
‘It isn’t all glamorous.’ Jack admitted. ‘Although some of us do try and look dashing while we do it.’  
Ianto rolled his eyes. ‘Your coat does give you a flair for the dramatic Sir.’  
Jack grinned. ‘You like the coat.’  
‘I do, Sir.’ Ianto nodded. ‘My grandfather had one very similar.’ He gave Jack a quick smile before heading for the archives.  
Owen sidled up to Tosh. ‘I’ll never get used to how easily the tea boy can shut himself up.’  
‘I think it’s lovely.’  
‘You would, you’re a bloody girl aren’t you.’  
‘I’m glad you finally noticed.’  
He smiled. ‘Like I told you, that’s one thing I always noticed.’

Blaine sighed and looked at Jack. ‘Come on, you said something about a firing range.’  
‘Yes, I did.’ Jack held his arm out to her. ‘Perhaps you would like to accompany me.’  
‘You should hang your coat up first, Ianto might not appreciate you getting it dusted in gunpowder.’  
‘You may have a point.’ He quickly hung his coat up and returned to Blaine’s side. ‘If you will.’  
She laughed. ‘Ianto warned me you might get a bit handsy, so just remember, I’ve got a wand and I’m licensed to carry it.’  
Jack sighed as they moved though the Hub. ‘Usually only Ianto threatens me.’ 

Their laughter echoed back to Tosh and Owen who exchanged a look and a shrug.  
‘I know it’s only been two days but she’s already less annoying that Cooper.’ Owen commented.  
‘I like her.’ Tosh smiled as she leaned into him. ‘I think she’ll fit in just fine.’

**Author's Note:**

> I could lie an say this has been the plan all along but it has been a challenge for me to answer the question of what to do with Gwen. I have now worked out a story line for her that I'm happy with as I hadn't initially planned to write her out at this point.


End file.
